134. 7 things that finally made family vacation feel like actual rest
We just got back from two and a half weeks in Florida, and I'm recording this while it's still fresh — cold from the plane and all. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what actually made this family vacation feel like rest: the prep hacks that kept Scotty and me from arriving at the airport annoyed at each other, the Instacart move that meant zero store runs for 10 days, and the alternating mornings method that gave us each seven solo mornings over the trip. Tune in, and have a family vacation that you don’t need a vacation from.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(01:09) The two ways people listen to podcasts right now
(03:08) The backstory of our two and a half week vacation
(05:37) What pre-vacation prep looked like before kids vs. after
(07:38) The staging area hack that eliminates pre-trip chaos
(09:48) Meal prepping the week before so your fridge isn't a disaster when you leave
(10:41) The kids-sleeping-in-their-clothes trick
(11:28) Scotty's role: laundry deadlines and division of labour
(11:53) The work prep: Why Andrea didn't pressure herself to unplug — and why that worked
(12:39) How to not set foot in a store in 10 days
(14:14) The alternating mornings and mini-vacations
(16:16) What my mini-vacations looked like
(18:15) Planning dinner nights out vs. cooking in
(19:00) The self-care day back home and why it changes everything
KEY TAKEAWAY
Family vacation doesn't have to feel like a second job. With a bit of intentional prep before you go and a simple alternating rhythm with your partner while you're there, you can actually come back feeling restored — not like you need another vacation to recover from your vacation.
RELATED EPISODE
Episode 124. 4 vacation myths that are keeping working parents burned out - Jennica Day